Reuben
McGinnis and Martha "Patsy" Caroline Black, photo circa 1870
Reuben McGinnis, grandson
of Francis and Rebecca McGinnis, s/o William and Jane BrownMcGinnis,
was b. 11/22/1821 in Greenup Co., Ky. d. 3/3/1913 Lewis Co., Ky.
Reuben m. 12/25/1843 Martha "Patsy" Caroline Black, d/o John and
Rebecca Addington Black b. 5/14/1828 at Mudd Lick (Paintsville)
Johnson Co., Ky. d. 7/26/1907. Reuben and Patsy were buried side
by side in the Tannery Cemetery (a/k/a Howard Cemetery) in Lewis Co., Ky.
Reuben, a farmer, also worked for a time at Boone Furnace and in the Salt
Peter Cave that is now a part of Carter Caves State Park. He and
Patsy first settled at Gesling, in Carter County. The 1850 Carter
County census records indicate that Reuben's farm had a fair market value
of $300.00. But in 1869, Reuben sold the farm with plans to join
the migration West to the Missouri/Arkansas area. After a visit,
he changed his mind, as the "fever" was rampant in that area and he feared
for his family. He returned to the Carter Co. area and he and Patsy
purchased another farm on McDowell Creek.
Reuben was very proud of
his ability to read and write and if you look closely at his picture, you
will note that he is holding a fountain pen in his right hand. During
the Civil War, Reuben served as a member of the Carter County Home Guard
on Tygart's Creek.
Reuben and Martha's children
were:
1) William Jasper b. 1/22/1845 d. 1/24/1929 m. 10/28/1873 1st Matilda
McCleese
m. 2nd Nancy McCormick;
2) Rebecca b. 9/25/1847 d. 11/14/1847;
3) Rachael Mariah b. 10/15/1848 d. 8/14/1871 m. 6/14/1866 Thomas Zornes;
4) Clarinda b. 3/11/1851 d. 2/28/1891 m. 12/28/1867 Marshall Burtram
b. 1847 s/o John Wesley and Sarah Burtram;
5) Newton Lee b. 3/10/1855 d. 4/22/1914 m. 8/20/1876 Samantha Norris
b. 1860 in Pennsylvania;
6) Alice Ginerva b. 1/24/1857 d. 12/29/1877, Alice died of consumption
and was buried in the Horsely Cemetery at Rock Springs;
7) Daniel Franklin b. 9/16/1858 d. Sep 1936 m. 9/6/1879 Rebecca Howard;
8) Sabra Ann b. 12/20/1861 d. 10/29/1928 m. 5/22/1881 John Richard
Lewis
b. 7/3/1858 s/o Fielding and Sophia Burris Lewis
9) Wionona Francis "Fanny" b. 4/21/1872 d. 8/24/1936 m. 1/14/1895 Benjamin
Griffin.
10) There was also an infant that lived only 5 days.
Submitted by Garrett and Sherry Lowe